OM Contemporary Indian Cuisine

I bought 3 VIP Passes with dinner for OM’s Shanghaied NYE Event. Around 2:00 on the day of the event they called to say that the party was being moved to the Graves. They had my money so we went, I wish I hadn’t. The dinner was OK, the place was ½ empty as many people had canceled (and obviously not prepaid). They had a shuttle that took us to the Graves.
The 5^th floor ballroom at the Graves was packed, they obviously had sold too many tickets. They only had 4 small bars open for hundreds of people, the wait for a drink was 45 minutes and you could only get one. The didn’t have a a casino set up as advertised nor did I see much else that had been promised.
Everyone that had spent the extra money for VIP passes was equally pissed. OM ripped off hundreds of people.

Well I just moved to Mpls from Atlanta so you know the number of Indian restaurants I have encountered! I stumbled upon Om and thought to give it a try. Well first thing to hit me was… exhorbitant prices! I understand the posh factor but demanding that amount was too much. May be there are conniseurs who are ready to pay that much. Well I ordered the Salmon Curry and the food was good enough. It was not spicy nor bland. Just right for the american palette but for the desis out there with a craving for spicy food, this aint a place for you folks :)

I went there for HH & Dinner. It is a fancy place. But nothing else beyond that. The food is OK, but not worth the price. And it is totally not Indian at all.

It makes me sad to write this review because I really thought OM had potential. I had noted lukewarm service in my last review after my first visit. And I had a repeat and worse experience on my last visit, which for a restaurant in this class, is one times too many.
There were 4 of us, with a coupon for $ 60 for a bottle of wine and 2 entrees. The waiter did away with the customary tasting before pouring out the first glass. He never returend to refill our glasses even though he spent quite a bit of time chatting with guests at two other tables adjacent to us.
Before taking our order he informed us that neither of the 2 vegetable side dishes were available that day: okra and eggplant. There was only 1 vegetarian entrée, kind of a rice layered with vegetables, and I asked if the kitchen may be able to make a vegetarian entrée for us. ‘No we can’t’ he responded immediately.
One of the items we had ordered was dal. When it came each of us served ourselves some and then discovered that it was oversalted. So, we caught the waiter’s attention and he ambled over to our table. We informed him about the dal. His response? ‘Well, it looks like you are enjoying it.’ Huh? Which customer service school did he graduate from? He later said he’d take it off the bill. One of our other items, a chapati, never arrived during our meal.
I emailed the restaurant about our experience and have yet to receive an acknowledgement. I waited to write this review in case I heard back from them. Same experience as Michelle.
So, sorry OM, I’m not planning to come back.

I had my wedding reception for 60 people here Aug 2010. The food was excellent, many people told me it’s the best food they’ve ever had at a wedding. The whole event went smoothly and with complete ease.
The wedding coordinator, Jennifer, was very easy to work with, professional, and helpful. I met a handful of other people at other restaurants, and she was the most helpful, responsive, etc. I’m really glad I went with OM because she was great to work with. The menu was flexible, and she helped me put together something that would appeal to my MN relatives (even the ones who don’t like spice).
The menu we went with was — papaya salad, an amazing coconut shrimp appetizer, family style entrees — tandoori chicken, Om filet, salmon. The steak was so tender, it was perfect and everyone raved about it. Personally I love the lamb, but I didn’t know if my family would, so I didn’t put it on the wedding menu. I’m really glad I chose the filet instead. It was outstanding.
The only surprise was the tandoori chicken tasted a little different the day of the wedding than it did when I tasted it before hand. It was maybe a little sweeter or more cinnemon-​y. I liked it at the tasting better.
We chose to have the event downstairs and I thought that worked great in terms of setting up a mic, guests being able to see the wedding party, and access to restrooms. The décor looks really lovely in the photos. This is a great place for a large party.
I did 2 tastings at OM before the event and everything we tried was consistently good. That was the challenging part — deciding what to put on the event menu.

I want to like this place but does anybody work here?
I’ve been here twice and i’ve given up! My friends and i waited at the hostes stand last night and the staff just walked by like they were busy. Ps. they had about 3 tables in the whole place. We ended up seating ourselves by the bar lounge area and waited another 10 min without a simple hello. That was enough for us so we left.

Want traditional Indian? This is not for you. Like Indian flavors and want to try them in a new, creative way? Give it a shot.
Great flavors. Variety of menu options (vegetarian friendly). I like that you recognize Indian elements but that they do it with a twist (as your waiter will tell you when you sit down). We stuck with appetizers and sides so that we could order a variety of things (very tapas-​style) and had a great time. The shrimp salad was very, very, very spicy (according to my husband), so they mean it when they say that.
Wait staff was friendly and prompt. Conveniently located near lots of our favorite places, so you can find it easily.
So, any downers? Well, there are really two reasons that I didn’t give it a 4 — 5. First, the prices are a little steep. The downside to that really is that there are so many things to try and the prices prevent you from trying them all. We spent over $ 100 just on the starters and sides and two cocktails (one for me, one for my husband). Second, they advertise happy hour heavily, but it is only if you go sit at the bar (where, I might add, you can order from the menu). If that’s the case, why bother getting a table? We asked if it was still happy hour when we asked for a table and were told that it was. But, I guess the host didn’t think that meant that we actually wanted to order a Happy hour special? And that’s why he didn’t specify when he sat us at a table?
Oh, well. Bottom line: I would definitely go back. It’s fresh, it’s flavorful and it’s fun to try as much as you can afford.

I will preface this review by saying that I’m rarely inclined to go to chi chi places to get food I can get for cheap (and authentically) elsewhere. That said, it was an interesting experience eating at Om, and if you’re up for that posh, Indian-​American fusion experience, go ahead and try this place. The server was knowledgeable and nice, albeit on the slower side. It’s so funny coz he asked if I wanted tap or bottle at the start of the service, and I thought he meant if I wanted what’s on tap or bottled beer; he meant the water that I’ll have. Like I care?
Anyway, we ordered a couple of starters (Aloo Tikka cakes, Tapioca fritters, and mini lamb burgers), Tandoori Cornish Hen for entrée, stuffed eggplant to share, and cardamom doughnuts for dessert. The only thing I truly loved was the dessert; the cardamom donuts were warm and fresh, the ice cream was light and refreshing; it reminded me of the Somalian tea that I got somewhere else. The appetizers were OK I suppose, the highlight being the lamb burgers. The cornish hen was sadly bland, and you have to really dig in coz there’s hardly any meat on the thing. Those were the only memorable items in our spread, and that’s not saying a lot.

I think this is a good place for drinks. Pretty atmosphere, good service and $ 2 wine is a delight. However, the food did not light my fire. I ordered a crêpe and it turned out to be a big cracker with some ranch-​like dip. I thought the food menu was expensive and disingenuous.

As someone who is more than picky about Indian food, I have to say that OM has good flavor, but it is in no way worth the price tag.
Granted, the décor makes you think you’re in a fancy tourist hotel in Mumbai and the drinks are creatively tasty… but what the heck? I love you, Raghavan Iyer, for making great Indian food accessible to the goras of Minnesota in your cookbooks but I did have higher hopes for what I’d get in your restaurant.
Boyfriend had rogan josh, which is one of his favorites. Spices were perfect, but it was just missing the depth that I’d expect. I had the vegetarian stew, which was basically a trumped up dal with some extra veggies…
I really could have made our meal at home with probably better results, but I could not have recreated the atmosphere… which is what you’re paying for, I guess. I give OM credit for living up to the contemporary Indian cuisine promise… but I’m just not gori enough to appreciate it, I guess.

I have been here twice and both times I left wishing I had gone somewhere else. The space is nice but I am just not feeling it.
The only recommendation I can give about this place is if you like cilantro… like I like cilantro… give the Slumdog a try. Think mojito… with cilantro replacing the mint… very tasty!

I attended a Young Professional Communicators — Twin Cities event there this month. I was impressed with the atmosphere and waitstaff. While I didn’t eat the server for our group was prompt, helpful and always had our orders organized. To have a party and know all their drinks with different tabs is a talent. Very impressed.
The parking was a little tricky but it’s downtown. I suggest after 5pm to park in a garage a block away.
The Happy Hour options were nice. $ 2 bottle beer and wine specials.

It’s American food with Indian spices. Or Indian food with a highly stylized, Americanized sheen. It is NOT authentic in the least. I had this place somewhat lower on my priority list, but since a Unilocal elite event was being held here, I thought we should give it a try.
The food is quite delicious, with familiar flavors in nontraditional presentations. We enjoyed the appetizer sampler; whatever I ate that tasted like a veggie samosa, I lurved. I had the salmon curry and he had the scallops — curry wins out, any time. I, for one, did not appreciate the naan, mainly because it wasn’t naan (more like a Greek pita).
Our server was pleasant, but one runner in particular was very stressed. We had our table cleared and up he came up with 3 more baskets of naan; I thought at first it must have been part of the street food, but when we realized what was going on and told him we didn’t order them, he practically ran off in a huff. Also, the maitress completely misunderstood me when I said that we were dining *and* attending the Unilocal event. She freaked and sent the manager over for clarification… yeah, we ordered drinks and dinner, I would not consider that street food…
Of course, can’t forget to mention the central hanging chandelier. Stunning. I don’t quite like the basement-​as-​dining room concept, but it works for the space. Didn’t do anything with the lounge but walk through it, cuz we’re too old for that –sh.

First off, if you expect to sit down at OM and order a tin full of curry to scoop onto a bed of rice, you’re not going to get it. And, that is exactly where OM becomes exceptional. OM, is what Indian Cuisine looks like coming out of its shell… Standing up and saying, «I am not a brownish mash of this-​and-​that, but a collection of exceptional ingredients that deserve to sing on their own merits, in perfect harmony.» If you would have told me that my Paneer (a very mild cheese that is almost like tofu) would have come presented like grilled fish, with a splash of saffron gravy, each pat topped with a rasberry, I would have looked at you funny, but there it was, and it was fantastic. The naan was amazing… crispy and earthy on the outside, piping hot, and soft, on the inside… truly excellent and the best I’ve had by a wide margin. Ebbin M’s Rogan Josh was presented more as lamb chops than curry, and the lamb was excellent. I was at a loss for words when faced with how my expectations were flipped. We were graciously treated to a sampling of the pistachio ice cream and cardamom yogurt, which were both very good. Wow, what an excellent meal.
We had come for a Unilocal event and, within 10 minutes, were compelled to sit down and eat. The contemporary décor is attractive and, while very modern, lacks pretentiousness. The lighting is well chosen, and appropriately dim. The space is really great. I can’t wait to try it again and am perfectly happy to jump past the typical cost of Indian food to get this exceptional re-​imagining of Indian Cuisine. I must thank Sarah P. for choosing this venue for a Unilocal event.
4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this place. The décor is beautiful, very typical of India culture with lush fabrics on the chairs, fabulous drapery, an awesome chandelier and rich, bold colors. A+ for turning a drab clothing store into something amazing!
We ordered the appteizer sampler which I would highly recommend. You 2 of almost every appetizer on the menu for $ 17.
We also had the Kashmiri Lamb which was cooked to perfection with an awesome chutney on top of it.
We ordered the potato and green chili naan which was delicious, I wish I would’ve been able to eat 2 of them because I would’ve ordered another one! I would also highly recommend the okra as a sidedish, it was very flavorful and did not remind me of the traditional okra that you see in southern cuisine.
All in all a delicious experience. If you are expecting true Indian food you will be disappointe, I would say this food is definitely Indian/​American contemporary (which they spell out in the name.) So go to this place with the right expectations and you will simply love it!

Not particularly a fan.
If you’re a fan of SMALL plates that are WAY over priced — sure check this place out. I went there on a Sunday night and I feel like I got ripped off. The food was ok. The food wasn’t very hot, kind of warm if anything. As if it were premade, stuck in an oven for a minute and then served. When food comes out too fast, I’m always suspicious of how it was prepared.
The service was decent. The attentiveness on the water refills was over bearing a little. The server had the menu down without a question and did a decent job… except when he didn’t take my order and I had to run him down. No one said good bye, thank you or have a good night as we left so that made the experience sour.
Drinks — eh. The Slumdog was interesting. I particularly don’t care for cilantro flakes in my drinks so whoever tended the bar shouldn’t have muddled the cilantro so much. The Kashmir Margarita was gross and luke warm. It’s served in a cocktail glass — and I was in the mood to try something new that night so I gave it a whirl but if you’re going to have a margarita — IT NEEDS TO BE ON ROCKS. No questions. Otherwise a room temperature margarita with ginger is nasty.
I had the avocado stuffed chicken. For $ 19. I expected A LOT more. First, I’m not entirely sure if there was avocado in the chicken. Second, the dish look as if it had been sitting for a good while before it got to my table. The naan bread was good but again, small portions. If they made the prices reasonable. like under $ 15 then I would give this joint a better review. Maybe three stars. I’m from LA and even the more upscale restaurants there serve you more bang for your buck. It’s as if OM was trying to do a «less is more» sorta thing. They failed.
All in all… I’m not a fan. I LOVE Indian food and this certainly wasn’t Indian food. It was experimental if anything. The menu was very small and over priced. $ 30 for salmon??? Give me a break. I can get amazing, fresh salmon sashimi for $ 5. The coconut crème brûlée was very watery and not very flavorful. There weren’t many options to choose from on the menu. One chicken dish, one veggie dish, one lamp, one beef, etc. OM needs to expand their menu. It felt more like a tapas bar. A ridiculously over priced tapas bar.
If you think small, over priced plates shrouded with a fancy décor that reeks of trying to hard with cliché lounge music playing — you’ll love this place. But if you’re looking for authentic Indian cuisine, reasonable prices and actually leaving full — look elsewhere.

For a friend’s birthday, a group of ten of us went to OM on Saturday night. We arrived early and had appetizers and cocktails. Both were great! While the service in the lounge was not fantastic the OM appetizer sampler and going to the bar for drinks far made up for that. Also, the space (which used to be Nate’s Clothing), is
We were seated downstairs and the service we received was impeccable — especially for a group as large as ours. The servers gave great recommendations and the food arrived promptly. Here are my recommendations:
Entrée
— Anything with lamb — OM does a phenomenal lamb and offers a few lamb dishes from which to choose.
— Sea Scallops — succulent, perfectly seasoned. YUM.
— OM Filet Mignon — I got this filet as opposed to the Cardamon Filet based on the servers recommendation. I couldn’t have been more pleased. The meat was tender, perfectly seasoned — absolutely amazing.
Naan
— We ordered a few varieties and I have to say that this is the BEST naan I have ever had. WOW. I highly recommend!
Dessert
— Coconut crème brule. It was great. Nothing amazing, but definitely not a disappointment.
— There was a spicy chocolate dish that also got rave reviews.
Overall I was very impressed with OM and would definitely say that I am a fan. Would the service in the bar have been better I would have definitely given it 5 stars.

Om is probably the poshest Indian restaurant I’ve ever seen and also one of only a few nation-​wide that falls into such a chic category. This is not your auntie’s curry shop.
That said, the food is far from authentic and it’s maybe not even fair to call it «Indian» considering the non-​traditional ingredients and heavy use of American-​preferred meats, fishes and dairy products.
As such the food is not terribly vegan-​friendly. Somehow Om’s «fusion Indian» concept has managed to browbeat Indian food into a mild, milk-​filled meat fest, rather than a complex, vegetable-​based bonanza.
None of the main entrees are vegan or can be made vegan. A couple of their salads can be veganized, and a couple of their side dishes are vegan. Our waiter told us all of the bread dishes contain buttermilk, so make sure to ask questions.
We shared a peanut eggplant side dish ($ 7) and also a new potatoes and chili side dish ($ 7). The eggplant was well-​prepared and covered in a semi-​spicy peanut sauce. I liked the presentation and the flavors though the dish didn’t surprise me in any way. The new potatoes were much milder and tasty enough, but way too basic and bare for the trendy, fancy vibe of this joint. The portion sizes were large which made these a pretty decent value at only $ 7 a piece.
Om does make a great cocktail, though. I had a «Slumdog» ($ 9) which was basically a subtle lemonade with bits of mint and cilantro; it was unusual and it all came together smoothly. I think it could have used a bit more vodka but it was otherwise an edgy drink. My friend got an «Amber» which was gorgeous to look at and consisted of different layers of ingredients such as mango juice, Bombay sapphire, crème de cassis and lemon juice. It also tasted quite good.
The top floor of Om is good for lounging or watching a game at the bar. The bottom floor has large booths and tables for bigger groups, and is nice enough, if a bit spare.
I’m giving Om three stars for its drinks and relatively cool atmosphere; if they up their game on vegan offerings and get back to more traditional North and South Indian foods, I’d consider coming back more often.

This place was awesome.
As soon as you walk in, you feel like you’re somewhere fantastic and far away. The décor is top notch. The walls are a deep teal, with bronze, silver, and black accents. It feels very sexy but not sleazy. The bar is backlit with a beautiful amber glass effect and its really claiming. The top level is the bar/​lounge and it looks down onto the restaurant, but you can barley see the tables. The downstairs portion, which we did not venture too, looks private and perfect for a romantic dinner. There is also a really cool relfective pond downstairs.
The lounge is filled with big comfy chairs, little tables, and plenty of tucked away space to talk. The specialty drinks were between $ 7 and $ 11, and were very tasty. I would love to go back here some day and try their food, as it looked both innovative and truly Indian. Well done!

The long-​awaited upscale Indian restaurant on First Ave has finally opened. It’s off to strong start but does need some work.
You can tell they dropped some coin into the décor. The old Nate’s Clothing has been transformed into a two-​story study in opulence. The street level space holds the bar and lounge areas. It’s positively saturated in rich hues, silk drapes, plush leather banquettes and a pretty spectacular chandelier. Expect it to be the new hotspot. The dining area is on the cavernous lower level. Not as gorge — it seems a little Benihana down there. Add in the requisite stone statute and a little rectangular pool… you get the idea.
Cocktail list is hit or miss. No one in my party was impressed with their drink aside from me. I ordered the Kamasutra and loved it. Tastes like a lighter, fruitier cosmo. Very smooth. Possibly my favorite drink of all time. Steer clear of the margarita.
The food was similarly spotty, but when it’s on, it’s fantastic. The more successful plates seemed to be those that featured traditional preparations rather than an update or fusion. The patiala cakes were a highlight for me. Very smoky flavor that pairs well with the mint sauce accompaniment. The rojan josh entrée was spectacular but priced a bit high for the portion size. Pass on the shrimp appetizer and really pass on the eggplant side, no matter how good you think it sounds.
Service was a bit shaky but definitely well-​meaning. Chalk this up to us going on opening night. We got a lot of attention, but we were also one of the other tables eating. Which reminds me — I love that they serve food late. We came at 10:30pm on a Friday and they were happy to seat us.
As it stands, OM is strong on scene but needs work in other areas. Hopefully the owners put in the time in the ktichen. I’d hate for this place to be the new Seven.

Om was alright. I went there Friday night with a party of 5 (sans Jennifer Love Hewitt) for a late dinner. To start, the place is really quite stunning, especially considering it used to be the strange Nate’s Clothing Company. There’s a 2-​story chandelier, and some Indian-​esque details, but overall the style is very rich (plush booths) and classic (mahogany), in a rather stark and modern place (warehouse-​style space, with exposed ducts and all that jazz).
We ordered mostly apps, and one entrée. Our waiter was attentive, but a little nervous/​neurotic. We ordered drinks off the drink menu — mojitos, margaritas, martinis and more — but some fell short. My margarita was served martini-​style, with smoked salt on the rim. In one word it was nasty. The margie wasn’t that bad, but the salt on the rim was thick, almost encrusted, and not welcome. And this is coming from a self-​proclaimed salt junkie. I mean, I eat the salt out of the bottom of the pretzel bag. I love sushi because it’s something to eat with soy sauce. I ask for extra salt on my edamame. Trust me, I love salt.
The mojito was average — it describes itself as «Purple and green mint leaves and fresh limes muddled with Bacardi Silver and ginger simple syrup, served on the rocks» on the menu (note: I didn’t remember that word-​for-​word, I just copied it from the website), but really it just tastes like your run-​of-​the-​mill mojito. Two in my party ordered the Slumdog, which was good. The best was the embarassing-​to-​order Kamasutra, which makes you feel like some sort of desperate housewife/​girls night outer when requesting it, but was really pretty delicious. Reminiscent of the Donny Dirk’s Dickbag (see my review,
).
You start with some complimentary seasoned veggie puffs, kind of like Pirate’s Booty or whatever healthy snacks people are feeding their kids these days. I would definitely recommend finishing off those and the sweet, spicy sauce they come with. Delicious!
Like drinks, food was hit or miss. For appetizers (ranked in order of enjoyment):
–Peanut-​Stuffed Eggplant: Gross, mushy, flavorless, overall bad time. I would caution against ordering it, even though it sounds f — ing delicious on the menu.
–Tandoori Chicken Kebabs: Just chicken, no kebabs, pretty dull.
–Patiala Cakes: Very good, great flavor, crispy, minty.
–Coconut Shrimp: Delicious, but served a bit cold for my party’s tastes. Not deep-​fried like you’d expect, and the sauce was awesome.
–Mumbai Crackers: Definitely recommend. Not too fancy, but great flavors with their double-​chutney seasoning.
For entrees:
–Kashmiri Lamb: Really fantastic, fabulous flavor. Tender, kind of fatty lamb. Not saucy though, like traditional Indian food. Served on the bone for difficult but fancy eating. Comes with very little rice, but since there’s not much sauce I’m not complaining. At $ 26, not very much food, but I guess you might feel that way anywhere «upscale.»
–Naan: Fabulous naan. We ordered plan, but there are rosemary and paneer options as well. Crispy, buttery, hot. Can’t ask for more than that. Except more sauce to enjoy it with.
Dessert:
–Coconut Crème Brulee: REALLY healthy portion, so definitely share. It was good, but most crème brûlée is good. Nothing to write home about.
Overall, appetizers and small plates are definitely worth what you pay, especially if you forego the ones I mentioned. I’m not convinced that’s true for the entrees, but the lamb was really, really tasty. So perhaps.
Also — the valet was totally sketch, and said they were closing at 11:30 (our reservations were for 10:30) and had no idea where my friend’s car would be if we departed later than that. Also they want you to pay upfront, not when you retrieve your car. I definitely wouldn’t have handed over the keys and suggest you get your valet act together, Om. If dinner is going to cost $ 40+/person, you need to apply the same upscale methodology to your car handlers.
To conclude: Good, but not noteworthy. I’ll go again to decide if it was growing pains or not, but I’m not running back.